The sofa on the ground floor was created on site. Behind it, a screen made of rolling pins. Photographs by Chhandak Pradhan courtesy Swarup Dutta Scenography

The photo montage was created by Swarup and graphic artist Sumanta Chakravorty

This Kolkata eatery elevates everyday utensils into works of art

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Swarup DuttaJun 16, 2017I like to envision areas that offer an experience – a restaurant is one of them. This place is 1,200 sq ft with three levels: The first floor and the ground that splits into the mezzanine and a step down basement. We wanted a name that would tie in the multi-cuisine aspect – to us, Burnt Garlic summarised just that.

Planned by Kolkata based Saha & Associates, it is located inside Priya Cinema, one of the city’s most iconic theatres. Owners, Esha and Arijit Dutta who used to produce Satyajit Ray’s films, wanted an eatery within the premises as a holistic offering. For the design, I addressed the concept of domesticity. So I created a screen using rolling pins, as a way of glorifying this tool. My love for handicrafts was reflected through my choice of fabrics for seaters.

The spatial inspiration came from the city’s old joints like Peter Cat, Barbeque and Magnolia that echo the ‘70s. I also collaborated with graphic artist Sumanta Chakravorty to create a multicoloured photo montage on all walls.